Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Self-Employed & ACA

03/17/2014 Nativegrl77

Self-Employed? Sign Up for Health Care Coverage by March 31st

With only a couple weeks to go during the Affordable Care Act open enrollment period, now is the time for self-employed business owners to sign up for a plan.

With new Health Insurance Marketplaces (also referred to as Exchanges) open, self-employed business owners and other consumers can purchase private insurance coverage from a range of options and depending on income and residency, potentially qualify for additional subsidies like Medicaid or tax credits.

Coming up, there are some important dates self-employed business owners need to know if they want to sign up for coverage for this year.

Open enrollment for 2014 coverage ends March 31, 2014. An exception would include a qualifying life event that provides you with a special enrollment period such as marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, or loss of a job.

If you don’t have health coverage in 2014, you may have to pay a penalty.

The next Open Enrollment period is proposed to begin on November 15, 2014 for health insurance coverage that begins January 1, 2015.

To browse coverage options, assess potential subsidies, and purchase your plan online through the individual marketplace, simply go to www.healthcare.gov.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Invisible Man

03/17/2014 Nativegrl77

CAP Action War Room

The ACA’s Impact On African American Men Goes Unnoticed

We frequently use this space to highlight, explain, push back against, celebrate, or summarize issues that are discussed a lot in the news. Today, we want to do the opposite: call attention to an issue that is missing from our national dialogue.

It’s easy to get caught up in the daily political debates over the Affordable Care Act, but the stakes are higher than that: this is a real (and historic) law that has real impacts for real people. African American men, in particular, are a group that will benefit an enormous amount from the law. And they are a group for whom the current health system is failing. The infographic from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation below sheds light these challenges and on the importance of reducing disparities in health care access and building a culture of health among all Americans.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

the SBA and ACA

03/17/2014 Nativegrl77

Affordable Care Act 101 Webinar

With new health insurance marketplaces open, the SBA and Small Business Majority are hosting a free Affordable Care Act 101webinar so small business owners can learn the basics of the Affordable Care Act and how they can enroll in health insurance marketplaces.

Join us on Thursday at 2pm ET:

February 27 | Click to Register

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Are You Prepared For a Disaster?

Start your disaster recovery plan today with free tools from SBA.

General Preparedness Information

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Blue Cross Blue Shield says prove you’re sick

03/15/2014 Nativegrl77

President: Blue Cross Blue Shield: Don’t Take Away My Meds to Prove I’m Sick

I was diagnosed with CVID nearly 2 1/2 years ago. I have been successfully getting treatment until November of this past year. I was getting a medication delivered via a pump once or twice a week to help give me antibodies to fight infection. While the treatment is inconvenient, it does help me to function normally as a middle school teacher. When on the medication, I have energy, drive, and am willing to take on a lot. I also get sick less often when on treatment.

Without treatment, my numbers slowly drop and my body stops responding to illness and is overtaken by it. My moods change, my memory is affected, I get a lot of symptoms of arthritis, and I cannot sleep (even while exhausted).

With this new policy by BCBSIL (an insurance company), BCBSIL is allowed to determine who receives treatment instead of doctors who actually see the patients. Very few people who have CVID now qualify based on the new numbers (which would require the patients to be near-death and gravely ill).

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, stopping a patient from treatment on a difinitively diagnosed patient to run a trial for four months is medical malpractice. Furthermore, the AAAAI also states that IGG trough levels (the numbers that BCBSIL goes off of) fluctuate and should not be used as the sole determination for diagnosis. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration and no two CVID patients are alike. Some people have “normal” trough levels, others are incredibly low. Both groups respond well to IVIG/SUBQ treatment. I meet every other condition/category.

That said, it is important for people like me to receive the medication that I require to keep me healthy. If caught early and if treated, I can live a normal life span. An insurance company cannot deny a diabetic insulin, so why should an insurance company be allowed to deny those with an immune deficiency life sustaining treatment? It is appalling.

Once diagnosed, it is the job of the insurance company to provide treatment. End of story. No one should have to re-qualify for coverage by going off of treatment for 4 months and retesting (meaning that I will only receive treatment 8 mos out of the year IF I qualify after the 4 mos of NO treatment). It should be my doctor’s decision, not BCBSIL’s decision. Please sign this petition to help get this policy changed.